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Understanding the Concept of Adoption: a Qualitative Analysis with Adoptees and Their Parents Diana L

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Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Retrospective Theses and Dissertations Dissertations 2008 Understanding the concept of adoption: a qualitative analysis with adoptees and their parents Diana L. Baltimore Iowa State University Follow this and additional works at: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd Part of the Family, Life Course, and Society Commons, Social Psychology Commons, Social Psychology and Interaction Commons, and the Social Welfare Commons Recommended Citation Baltimore, Diana L., "Understanding the concept of adoption: a qualitative analysis with adoptees and their parents" (2008). Retrospective Theses and Dissertations. 15288. https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd/15288 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Dissertations at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Retrospective Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Iowa State University Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Understanding the concept of adoption: A qualitative analysis with adoptees and their parents by Diana L. Baltimore A thesis submitted to the graduate faculty in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE Major: Human Development and Family Studies Program of Study Committee: Sedahlia Jasper Crase, Major Professor Ron Werner-Wilson Mack C. Shelley, II Iowa State University Ames, Iowa 2008 Copyright © Diana L. Baltimore, 2008. All rights reserved. UMI Number: 1453104 UMI Microform 1453104 Copyright 2008 by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest Information and Learning Company 300 North Zeeb Road P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, MI 48106-1346 ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS v ABSTRACT vi CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION 1 CHAPTER 2. REVIEW OF LITERATURE 3 Adoption as a Stigma? 4 Adoptive Identity-Self identity, Self-esteem, Stigma, and Adoption 9 Understanding Adoption as a Concept 11 Adoption Language 14 Purpose of the Study 16 CHAPTER 3. METHODOLOGY 17 Phenomenological Approach 17 Data Collection 17 Participants 19 Family and Adoption Profiles 20 Ethical Considerations 21 Data Analysis 22 Researcher as Instrument 23 Indicators of Rigor 25 CHAPTER 4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 28 Themes 28 Theme 1: Parents’ Overall Experiences and Beliefs as a Result of Being a Parent of Adopted Children 29 Positive Experiences 30 Faith-based Responses 33 More Grateful, Eager, and Committed to Parent than Some Other Parents 35 No Difference / Matter-of-Factness 39 Lack of Medical Information 42 Theme 2: Need for Education/Change/Positive Media Portrayals of Adoption 43 Societal Beliefs – Changing Definition of Family 43 Increase Media Portrayals of Positive Adoption Stories 47 Promote Positive Adoption Language/Word Choices 50 Dispel Societal Misperceptions About Adoption 56 Process Questions 59 Increase Number of People Who Experience Adoption 60 Change Overall Child Welfare System – Biological Ties Need Not Prevail 62 Theme 3: Communication 70 iii Early Telling 70 Open and Honest Communications 72 Adoption Day Celebrations 74 Child-Directed Answers to Questions 76 Consideration of Children’s Cognitive Abilities When Disseminating Adoption-Related Information 77 Older Females More Curious Than Parents Realized 78 Theme 4: Children’s Understanding 82 Children Know What Their Parents Tell Them 83 Too Young, Could Not Care For Them; Parents Accurately Assess What Their Children Know 86 Older Children Gain Knowledge and Understanding Through Social Construction 90 No Difference Between Families Who Adopt and Those Who Have Biologically-Related Children 92 Theme 5: Identity 94 Children are Curious 94 Stability, Permanency, and “Normalcy” While Preserving Origin 97 Adoptive Identity 99 CHAPTER 5. LIMITATIONS, POLICY IMPLICATIONS AND OTHER IMPLICATIONS, FUTURE RESEARCH, CONCLUSIONS 105 Limitations 105 Policy Implications and Other Implications 105 Future Research 107 Conclusions 109 APPENDIX A. Parents’ Consent for Minors’ Interview Questions 111 APPENDIX B. Questions for Minor Participants 112 APPENDIX C. Demographic Forms 114 Minor Demographic Questionnaire 114 Adult Demographic Questionnaire 116 APPENDIX D. IRB Form 118 APPENDIX E. Consent and Assent Forms 119 Consent for Minor Children to Participate in Research 119 Children’s Assent Form 122 Adult Consent to Participate in Research 123 Adults’ Grand Tour Questions 126 iv APPENDIX F. Emergent Questions 128 REFERENCES 129 v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I am so incredibly blessed to have such wonderful children and supportive family members. To my husband, Chip, thank you for your patience, understanding, and support which has helped me further my education. I truly appreciate your extra help around the house, with my schoolwork, and with our children. To my outstanding children, Blake and Danielle, thank you for letting me work, go to school, study, and still be a mom! I am the luckiest mom in the whole wide world! Most importantly, I appreciate everyone’s love, support, and prayers. To my parents, Duane and Helen, thank you for teaching me the value of hard work, education, and perseverance. I would not be able to accomplish my goals without these values. To my brother Troy, thank you for your support. To my biological family, thank you for giving me the material to work with for my thesis. Grandma, thanks for your “uncanny” encouragement and role-modeling of a very strong, well-read, well-educated woman. You were a “woman before your time.” Sedahlia Jasper Crase, thank you so much for your guidance, wisdom, keen eye for detail, and modeling of professionalism! I have learned so much from you. Thank you for taking me on as an additional student when your workload was already incomprehensible! To my committee members, Mack Shelley and Ron Werner-Wilson, thank you for your insights and comments. Mack, your eye for detail and modesty are great examples for me! Ron, thanks for advising from “afar.” I appreciate your willingness to remain on my committee. vi Lastly, thank you to all the wonderful families who shared their hearts, homes, and experiences with me so I could learn more about adoption! I look forward to working with you so we can make a difference! vii ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of children’s and adults’ experiences with adoption. This qualitative study used individual interviews to examine 25 participants—8 adoptive mothers and fathers, and their 5- to 14-year-old sons ( n=5) and daughters ( n=4) adopted before 18 months. Data were collected using a phenomenological methodology and analysis of the data was guided by the following research questions: (a) What are children’s and parents’ 1 overall experiences with adoption? (b) What is the social construction of adoption? (c) What do children understand about the concept of adoption and how do they construct that understanding? (d) How do language and word choices influence the concept of adoption? (e) What would you like others to know about adoption? Analysis followed steps defined by Moustakas and others and revealed five interactive themes that resonated among all families (a) parents’ beliefs/experiences, (b) the need for education and change to promote adoption and positive adoption terminology, (c) communication, (d) children’s understanding, (e) and identity. Limitations, future research possibilities, policy implications and implications for those who counsel, teach, and work with parents and children who have experienced adoption were identified. 1 The term “parent (s)” used throughout this paper, unless otherwise noted, refers to the parent (s) who adopted a child. The terms “birth parent (s)” or “biological parent (s)” refer to the parent (s) to whom a child was biologically born. 1 CHAPTER 1 Introduction Adoption of children into a family occurs in all societies around the world. However, there has never been one, comprehensive national data collection bank to monitor, assess, and track all adoption activity in the United States and its territories (Javier, Baden, Biafora, & Gingerich-Camacho, 2007). Thus, the following statistics are comprised of a combination of data sources and in many cases are estimates. In the United States, 1.7 million households have at least one adopted child, which translates to 1.6 million adopted children under the age of 18 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2006). According to the National Council for Adoption (NCFA, 2002), the total number of adoptions increased from 119,766 in 1996 to 151,332 in 2002. The largest group of children adopted each year comes from the foster care system, with approximately 51,000 adopted from foster care in fiscal year 2005 (www.acf.hhs.gov/programs ), over 20,000 children adopted from other countries in fiscal year 2006 (U.S. Department of State, n.d.), and approximately 13,000 children adopted domestically each year (Hamilton, Ventura, Martin, & Sutton, 2004). However, despite the different sources and circumstances from which children are adopted, one similarity exists for many adoptees: they feel different from other children they know “Adoption in the Schools Report,” 2006). Thus, this section contains a review of the research literature concerning (a) adoption as a stigma (b) the possible effects of stigma on an adoptee’s self- identity and self-esteem; and (c) the language used in association with the concept of adoption. The information from
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